The Forty-Year Grudge

Tully’s tightly plotted sequel to The World’s Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant finds 26-year-old Olivia Blunt 10 months into her new job as assistant to Aubrey Merritt, the most distinguished PI in America. When an invitation to a reunion of Audrey’s sorority chapter arrives at the gumshoe’s Gramercy Park mansion, she promptly drops it in the trash; why would she want to spend a weekend at a ranch in New Mexico with a gaggle of women she hasn’t seen in 40 years? Then a visit from John Fitzroy, husband of former brigadier general Joan Battersea, who is hosting the event, reveals that Joan has received a death threat ahead of the festivities, and Audrey changes her mind. Soon, she and Olivia are off to New Mexico to smoke out a potential murderer. Long-simmering rivalries, unhealed wounds, and snide remarks put a damper on the proceedings immediately and provide a plethora of suspects, motives, and red herrings. Readers will enjoy watching Olivia’s investigative skills evolve and appreciate the interplay between her and her imperious mentor. With all the clues cleverly hidden in plain sight, this is a treat for fair-play mystery fans. Agent: Chris Bucci, Aevitas Creative Management. (June)